Carousel.



(No, 834.1166. y y PATENTED 0012s, '1906.

" J. c, RBGKWEG.

'GAROUSBL-y APPLICATION FILED FBB: 12.1906.'

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

17H1 walls 17in c1. 'Alunni-ron. n. c

' J. G; REGKWBG.

oARoUsEL;

APPLICATION FILED TEB,12.1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED sTATns vPATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent. ippiimionned February 12, 1906. serialNo. 300,647.

Patented Oct. 23, 1.906.

To @ZZ whom t may concern: l

Be it known that I, JOHN C. RECKWEG, a .citizen of the United States,residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and Statel ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCarousels; .and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. j u

-This invention relates to improvements in carousels or merry-go-rounds.

A The obj eet of the invention is to provide a device of this characterhaving means where-4 by a jumping movement will be imparted to thefigures thereon'as the same are carried around by the movable portion ofthe platform, thereby simulating the natural move-y ments of the animalsrepresented by the figures.

VWith the above and other objects in view the invention consists ofcertain novel features. of construction, combination, and arrangementyof parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the stationaryand movable portions of the platform of the device, showing the positionof the'figures, a portion of said figures being shown in place. Fig. 2is a vertical sectional view of the same, showing the manner in whichthe movable platform and the figures thereon areoperated. Fig. 3

.is an'enlarged sectional view through a portion of the movableplatform, showing one of the figures in side elevation and illustratingAthe mannerof securing said figure to the platform. Fig. 4 is a verticalsectional View of the figure and platform, showing the arrangement ofthemechanism for imparting a jumping action to the figure; and Fig. 5 is adetail view of a portion of the movable platform, snowing a figurerepresenting an ani-I -mal drawing a vehicle adapted to contain seats. vv

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 denotes the circularcentrally-disposed stationary portion of the platform, which is suitablymounted upon posts or standards arranged beneath the same. Around thecentral stationary portion of the platform is arranged an annularmovable portion 2, said portion being suitably supported to permit thesame to revolve around the central portion 1.

The movable portion of the platform is provided on its under side andnear itsI outer edge with an annular series of gear-teeth, with which isadapted to be engaged a drivv ing-gear 4, mounted upon the drive-shaft5,

j ournaled in standards 6 and connected. with a suitable drivingmechanism, which is here shown and is preferablyin the form of amotor 7.I

In the movable portion of the platform is formed radially-disposed slots8, said slotsbeing preferably arranged in. circular series, as shown. afigure 9, said figures preferably representing an animal which travelsor moves with a jumping action-as, for instance, a kangaroo. Thekangaroo or other figures are preferablyconnected to the platform by theback legs and tail, said back legs and tail being joined, as shown atl10, and the ends of the same are connected with the platform throughslots 12, said connection being provided on its under side with a roller13, adapted to engage the under side of the platform,.whereby as theanimal is moved up andv down to simulate a jumping action saidconnections will slide in the slots 12 and the rollers moved back andforth in engagement with the under side of the platform. If desired,buffersprings 14 may be connected with the back legs or body of theanimal to form a cushion,` thus relieving the jar which might beoccasioned by the animal striking the lplatform yduring its jumpingmovement. Connected to the under side ofthe figures are plungerblocks15, the lower portions of which are adapted to project through the slots8 and below the platform. The upperportions of the blocks 15 areslidably engaged with guide-standards 16, arranged on the platform, asshown. If desired, a suitable casing 17 may be arranged around thesliding plunger-blocks and guidestandards between the lower side of thefigure and the platform. u

Arranged below the movable portion of thestandard is an operatingmechanism for imparting a jumping movement to the iigures, saidmechanism preferably consisting of radially-disposed shafts 18, arrangedbeneath each radially-disposed row of slots 8,

vsaid shaft being journaled in hangers 19, se-

cured to the under side of the movable platform 2. On the shafts 1Simmediately below each slot 8 is eccentrically mounted a cam-disk 20,said disks being arranged on the shaft in different positions or angles,whereby when the shaft is revolved the disk Over each of the .slots 8 ismountedV IOC IJO

- the animals themselves.

will engage the lower ends of the blocks 15 at different times, therebycausing a jumping movement to be imparted to the figures con- 'nectedwith said blocks. In order that the shafts 18 may be revolved as themovable portion of the platform is carried around, said shafts areprovided with gear-.pinions 21, adapted to engage a circular rack 22,which is fixedly mounted upon suitable supportingstandards arrangedbeneath the movable latform, as shown. If desired, the inner ends of'theshaft 18 may be provided with a supporting wheel or roller 23,adapted'to rest and turn upon a circular track 24, which is mounted'uponsuitable standards 25, also arranged beneath the movable platform.

By providing an operating mechanism such as herein shown and describedthe figures mounted upon the movable platform will be caused to jumpupwardlyl after the manner of their natural gait, the arrangementl ofthe operating mechanism being such that this movement is provided to thefigures at different times, so that the figures adjacent to each otherwill notmove-at the same moment.

In Fig. 5 of the drawings is shown a figure representing an animaldrawing a car or other vehicle adapted to contain seats for thereception of riders not wishing to mount In'practice the apparatus willbe provided with a suitably-supported canopy 26, arranged above the samefor the protection. of the mechanism and riders, said canopy being shownin dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

From the foregoing description, taken in connectionwith the accompanyingdrawings, the construction and operation of the invention will bereadily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Variouschanges in the form, proportion, and the minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing from. the principle orsacrificing any of the advantages of this invention as defined by theappended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure byLetters Patent, is-

1. Inza carousel, the combination with a circular-stationary platform,of an annular` movable platform arrangedaroundthe same,

said movable platform having a series of radially-disposed slots,figures pivotally mounted on said platform over said slots, rollersconnected to the figures and extending through the slots, an annularseries of rackteeth-arranged on-the under side of said movable platform,a driving-gear engaged therewith, means to operate said gear, a seriesof eccentrically-mounted cam-disks arranged below-and'carried bysaidmovable platform, means whereby said cam-disks are operated byy themovement ofv said platform, and

means whereby said disks are engaged with said figures to impart ajumping motion thereto, substantially as described.

2. In a carousel, the combination with a circular stationary platform,of an annular movable platform arranged around the same, said movableplatform having a series of radially-disposed slots, figures mounted onsaid platform over said slots, an annular series of rack-teeth arrangedon the under side of said movable platform, a driving-gearl engaged withsaid teeth, an annular'rack and an annular track fixedly mounted belowsaid platform, a shaft journaled in hangers attached to the under sideof said movable platform, a pinion mounted on one end of saidshaft toengage the teeth of said annular rack as said movable platform isrevolved, a-roller mounted on the opposite end of said shafts to engagesaid annular track, eccentrically-mounted disks fixed on said shaft' indifferent positions, andmeans connected with said figures on theplatform and engaged by said disks whereby a jumping movement isimpartedto saidfigures as the same are carried round by said movableplatform, substantially as described.

3. In a carousel, the combination with a circularstationary platform, ofan annular movable platform arranged around the same, said movableplatform having a seriesof radially-disposed slots, figures mounted onsaid platform over saidslots, an annular series of rack-teeth arrangedonthevunder side of said movable platform, a driving-gear engaged withsaid teeth, an annular rack and an annular'track iixedly mounted belowsaid platform, a shaft journaled in hangers attached to the under sideof said movable platform, a pinion mounted on one end of said shaft toengage the teeth of said annular rack as said movable-platform isrevolved, a roller mounted on the opposite end of said shafts to engagesaid annular track, eccentrically-mounted disks fixed onsaid shaft indifferent positions, plunger-blocks connected with said figures, guidesto direct the movement of said blocksthrough the slots in said platformin position to be engagedby said disks whereby a jumping movement isimparted to said figures, substantially as described.

4. In'a carousel, the combination with a circular stationary platform,of an annular movable platform arranged around the same, said movableplatform having formed therein radially-disposed slots, means to supportsaid platforms, a figure mounted over each of said slots, said figureshaving jointed legs, means to slidably connect the ends of said legs tothe platform, buffer-springs connected with the legs of the figure,means to revolve said movable platform, a figure-operating mechanismarranged below and connected with said movable platform, plunger-blocks'ICO IIO

connected With the figures and adapted to In testimony whereof I havehereunto set project through the slots in said platform7 a my hand inpresence of two subscribing Witcasing arranged between the ligure andthe nesses. platform to cover said blocks, and means acl JOHN C.REKWEG'. tuated by said ligure-operating mechanism Witnesses:

to impart a jum ing movement to said igf CHARLES S. ZIESMER,

ures, substantial y as described. J. J. LORENZEN.

